(Image credit: NBC)

Simon Cowell is responsible for bringing some of the best reality TV shows to the TV schedule, even if he sometimes hates the finalists. His keen eye and business savvy has meant that for years he’s been a prominent producer and on-screen personality. He’s known for biting-yet-honest feedback, which is why I guess I shouldn’t be surprised by the wild object the 64-year-old judge reportedly keeps in his office.

Gareth Gates is an OG reality contestant who actually appeared on Pop Idol, the UK precursor to American Idol, all the way back in 2002. He ended up becoming a runner-up on the series, but it placed him in close proximity to Cowell, and years later he was in the TV personality’s office when he saw the strangest – but also most on brand — item he kept on the wall. Noting of Simon’s peculiarities, Graham revealed on the My Dirty Laundry podcast:

The annoying thing about Simon is that he’s always right. The first time I went into his office, I went in and I saw on the wall there was a mirror [sic] and it said on the mirror, ‘Yes, Simon, you are the most beautiful in the land. I swear, I swear. And I was like, ‘Wait a minute, is that real?’ He was like, ‘Yes, darling, it’s real.’

Host Rebecca Davison, of course, had to ask Gates if the gift was a “gag” gift, to which he admitted he had “absolutely no idea.” The one thing he would say about the over-the-top mirror Cowell had proudly displayed is that it really fits the producer’s personality to put it up on his wall, noting he could see him in the mirror “kind of saying that to himself.”

For years, Simon Cowell was known for looking well-shaved and showing off a little chest hair, but he’s admitted in the past he’s not the biggest fashion aficionado, and has said he’s “not really interested” in how he looks on screen and in past photos. Though he did admit in an interview (via DailyMail) that he’d gotten called out for wearing “embarrassing trousers” in the past, which spurred a bit of change.

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In more recent years he’s been keeping better tabs on his appearance. He even made headlines a while back after an incredible weight loss transformation. He added sunglasses and normal coverage tees to most of his looks. Given the grooming changes and the fact he already has a lot of confidence in the workplace, the mirror does strike Gates as on-brand.

In general, Gates had many nice things to say about the heavy hitter producer, noting he had really helped him throughout his career. It’s similar to what Kelly Clarkson had to say after the longtime producer was a champion of her during her stint on American Idol as well.

I owe a lot to Simon Cowell. I was sort of his boy from the start in pop idol. I was obviously on his label. We get on really well…

After his stint on Pop Idol Gareth Gates did produce some albums, but he’s mostly known for musical stage work in productions as varied as Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Les Miserables, Legally Blonde, Footloose and more. He’s also appeared in further reality TV with a stint in ITV’s Dancing on Ice. He’s also reportedly been extremely successful as a movie investor and is a part of Ingenious Partnerships, which helped bankroll Avatar, one of the best films of the early ‘000s. Not too shabby for a guy who was a total unknown before Simon Cowell and Simon Fuller’s show jumpstarted his career.